Last week, a Minnesota boy lost his life, seemingly at the hands of his own mother.
On Friday, authorities pulled over a vehicle being driven by 28-year-old Julissa Thaler. The car had a shattered windshield and a flat tire. But during the traffic stop, officers noticed something else that was off: There was blood inside the car.
Officers examined the vehicle and found the body of the driver's child. Six-year-old Eli Hart, a kindergartener who wanted to be a firefighter, was dead in the trunk.
The child's mother was arrested and has been formally charged with murder. Another unidentified individual has been arrested, as well. Other crime scenes, such as an apartment and a local gas station, are also being investigated in the murder.
The death of the child is utterly heartbreaking. But what's even more stunning is that Eli had only just been placed back into his mother's care by a judge. The situation was supposed to be for a trial period amid a custody battle with the child's father.
"Eli was the sweetest kid. Very kind. Anyone who knew Eli just fell in love with him," Josie Josephson, the fiancée of Eli's father, said. "He was always happy, full of energy, full of questions, very inquisitive. He loved to play with Matchbox cars. Recently, he learned how to fish."
Prior to moving back in with his mother, the little boy had been in the custody of social services, moving between county custody and foster care. Social services got involved after Dakota County filed a Child in Need of Protection or Service petition in January of 2021. According to Josephson, she and the boy's father were still involved in his life and spending time with him during unsupervised visitations. In December of the same year, a judge ordered the trial period to begin.
According to a GoFundMe page, the boy's father, Tory Hart, knew his son was in danger. "Due to many red flags Eli's mother was showing, Tory tried extremely hard to get custody of Eli," the page reads. "Numerous parties made many statements to CPS, fearing that mom would harm Eli if full custody were returned. Sadly, full custody was returned on May 10, 2022."
Sadly, Eli was only in his mother's custody for two weeks before he was found dead in her trunk.
According to the GoFundMe page, Eli and his father had just been getting to know one another more fully. "Eli fell in love with his father and loved spending time with him," it reads. "Tory was excited to make up for all the lost years and was thrilled to start teaching his son how to fish and ride a bike with no training wheels."
Thaler's bail has been set at $2 million.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
